It’s Still a Numbers Game: Accelerating ROI with Telemarketing Lead Nurturing

B2B lead nurturing and telemarketing help make stronger connections.

Success in sales can be directly traced to strong connections, which in turn often correlates to sales activity, which closely aligns to lead nurturing. You may be hearing the chatter of “cold calling is dead” or “email is only reaching the promotions, clutter or junk folder.” The strategic sales teams know that it still takes activity to get through all the noise.

According to the Sales Development Technology report by TOPO, sales reps today have to make more “touches” per lead to get through to prospects. Our experience supports that it does take more attempts to connect with a prospect, so be sure to build this into your plans.

Sirius Decisions recent insight points to sales only making two attempts to reach a prospect. So, if the sales team isn’t making the effort to create a stronger connection with potential leads, who is responsible?

This is where B2B telemarketing helps accelerate your ROI and the lead nurturing process. Our numbers across multiple industries show that it takes an average of 80 contact calls to get an opportunity. The key for marketing is not just knowing these numbers and leveraging technology to make a connection. But to accelerate your lead nurturing process and thus sales it is highly dependent on the approach you take. Doing nothing with this knowledge is not an option.

So, if it takes more attempt and sales is not making enough attempts to create a stronger connection with your target audience, then where does that leave any marketing effort. The key we have found is that not leveraging B2B telemarketing leaves many campaigns and nurturing efforts flat, and any leads you do create are often dead on arrival.

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Let’s brainstorm some ways to improve your lead nurturing process through telemarketing.Schedule a free, no-obligation phone call with the experts at ResponsePoint.

If you’re not contacting your prospect, then who is?

Telemarketing is an excellent complement to any integrated lead nurturing campaign. It’s a flexible process, and often the advantages and outcomes quickly make the financial ROI model work out. The truth about telemarketing is that it doesn’t have to be about sales. Consider surveys, webinars, and follow-up efforts to live events like tradeshows. This kind of effort creates a valued outreach to your target prospects, and gathers critical insights and data that no digital-only program can achieve.

Here is the ResponsePoint take on the benefits of incorporating telemarketing into a B2B lead nurturing process.

Telemarketing is flexible. Telemarketing can be as broad or as focused as you need it to be. Often it can support sales across the entire customer journey and sales cycle. Beyond just being used in the early stages of the sales process, it is equally as important to assist during other stages and even to strengthen engagement with existing customers. Unlike a Sales team, telemarketing or sales development teams are easily scalable giving you the ability react quickly to changes or new initiatives, and test or launch new products.

It is a cost-effective direct method -Telemarketing may be the earliest direct approach to connect with your target market. Telemarketing efforts can turn into immediate results and provide clear insights to test assumptions and generate healthy ROI return on investment.

It’s people based, not automated. Canned messaging pales in comparison to an experienced telemarketer who can listen and articulate your brand’s value. It creates trust, builds a relationship, and allows you to gather important information about prospects that goes a long way to closing the deal later in the funnel.

It increases the lift of other marketing efforts. Other types of marketing can create awareness and drive response, but telemarketing can help break through the noise in a more straightforward and personal way. It improves the response rate of other efforts while also weeding out unsuitable prospects.

It can generate critical insights and data. Telemarketing helps focus dialogue around your key customer attributes while filling in the knowledge gaps about the prospect, company, current solution, pain points, decision process, etc. The ability to glean information from telemarketing is invaluable when data profiling, segmenting and defining your target. A single telemarketing campaign can significantly flesh out your marketing and sales process, from market research to discovery to opportunity.

It is measurable. Telemarketing is easily measurable, providing clarity and insight into other programs and campaigns, and making ROI simpler to assess. It also provides opportunities for testing and optimization within your campaign and on the fly.

Telemarketing can influence the personalization of your process.

Beyond telemarketing, there are several compatible methods of connecting with prospects that can all work together in the lead generation and nurturing processes. The bonus? These efforts can often be completed by the same team at a much lower cost and more consistently than your sales team.

Pick up the phone (already mentioned, but worth repeating)

Reach out in no-pressure, engaged way (LinkedIn, follow on Twitter, comment on article, etc.)

Leverage all means of automation, but never make it canned (use personalization, provide content of value and insight)

Target multiple people within the organization (increase your chances of getting through by putting your presence on several different radars)

Have the tenacity and drive to own it and repeat the process

Remember, in sales it’s still a numbers game, and success requires action and consistency. Automation alone cannot engage and accelerate the sales process in the same manner a one-on-one connection can.

The biggest key to successful telemarketing is authenticity. It is your brand after all, so make sure you are working with experts who can articulate your value and connect in an authentic and trustable way. Work with a team who knows your industry, your business, and your audience. Don’t skimp by using offshore resources and risk losing potential sales.

Connection is the key!

Some of my best sales haven’t resulted from the first call or from a proposal, but from positioning myself as an expert and go-to resource for the prospect. I would posit that people need a relationship when making buying decisions. They need trust and authenticity. And they want to be heard. So, why run B2B lead nurturing efforts with a largely automated approach and more importantly with little to no human connection?

I have repeatedly witnessed how telemarketing breaks through and creates a direct connection with your prospect. I have also witnessed an over-reliance on marketing automation causing a lot of lost opportunities. Incorporating telemarketing into a lead generation takes the onus off of the customer to take action, and puts you in the driver’s seat. Fostering that connection in my experience creates a lot more closes. Adding this significant step to the qualification process improves your data, garnering critical profiling information that ensures a smoother flow between marketing and sales.

Let’s brainstorm some ways to improve your lead nurturing process through telemarketing. Schedule a free, no-obligation phone call with the experts at ResponsePoint.